Gado Gado Salad

Hi everyone! As you may or may not know I just got back from my study abroad term in Singapore where I was lucky enough to travel around Southeast Asia. Not only did I get to see and do so many new things but I also got to eat some of the most amazing food I’ve ever had in my entire life. In the weeks to come I’m hoping to put out some content where I share with you how to make some of my favourite dishes that I tried while travelling. Today I’m going to show you how to make Gado Gado, a traditional Indonesian salad that I had while I was visiting Bali. Gado Gado consists of rice, steamed vegetables, tofu and tempeh, and a rich peanut sauce. Sounds simple huh? Well it actually is! This is something that you can easily make any day of the week which only takes 30 minutes or less. When I was in Bali I didn’t expect much of this dish. However it is packed with so much flavour because of the peanut sauce and what I love most about it that everywhere you go it taste slightly different. This dish usually is served with boiled egg and fish sauce is used in the peanut sauce, but you can still omit those ingredients to make it vegan without sacrificing the flavour. I hope my rendition of this Indonesian street food makes some Balinese grandma very proud.

Instructions

1

In a rice cooker, add in enough rice for one serving for each person.

2

In a blender or food processor add in 2 cloves of garlic (you can add less if you don't like garlic). Next add in your soy sauce and give this a whiz. Next add in your peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of hot water, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and your tamarind paste. I like my peanut sauce to have some kick so I added in a total of 3 Thai chilis with the seeds scooped out. Be sure to taste your peanut sauce every step of the way. If you think that it's too thick add in more hot water if you find that it needs more of a zing add in some extra lime juice. Just keep tasting it until you're happy with the spice level and seasoning. Blend everything till it is nice a smooth. The sauce shouldn't be runny, nor should it be very thick. It should be easy to drizzle.

3

In a skillet that is lightly oiled, fry up the tempeh and tofu making sure that they get crispy on both sides. I like my tofu and tempeh slightly on the thin side but you can make them as thick as you like. During the cooking process add in a splash of soy sauce to add additional flavour.

4

For the vegetables it's really simple. In a large pot filled with water, add in a pinch of salt and boil your vegetables one at a time. The carrots will take the longest to boil, the broccoli should only take a few minutes, and the cabbage will take anywhere from 5 to 7 minutes to become tender. I like my vegetables a little bit more on the crunchy side but you can but cook them for as long as you like.

5

Now it's time to assemble! In a bowl scoop in some rice, add in your of cooked vegetables, over that sprinkle your tofu and tempeh and then finish off with a generous drizzle of your peanut sauce. If you like top it off with some spring onion.